This disclosure relates generally to a flexible pipe and a method of manufacturing a flexible pipe using metal reinforced tape.
Flexible pipes, hoses, and conduits for accommodating fluids at relatively high pressures often include an extruded inner layer, a plurality of reinforcing fibers extending over the inner layer, and an extruded outer sheath. The reinforcing fibers are typically braided or woven together and are generally formed by extruded polymers, graphite, or glass with high tensile strength. However, these types of reinforcing fibers have limitations, since the fibers are relatively expensive and brittle, and tend to degrade with pressure, temperature, vibration, or exposure to chemicals. Also, relatively large and expensive braiding and armoring machines are required to manufacture the pipe, due to the large numbers of fibers that must be precisely applied.
Therefore, what is needed is a flexible pipe, and a method of manufacturing same, that overcome the problems set forth above.